hackCONNECTION
by Ebil Chopsticks is now KouhiiTenshi check new account
Summary: Miki Harabi's sister is overly obessed with the world. She, because of this, seems to have what is best described at The World phobia...and when someone tries to help her see that sister...T for later on voilence, cursing, and erm...OTHER STUFF!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First fic here. Hope you like it! Note: This fic was revoived. if you remember the old fic, this one's the same. I just re-made it because 1: it had been dead for a long 2: No one saw the fic anymore and I think no one read it either.

Disclaimer: I don't own .hack, The World, Shugo or Rena. The Hirabu family are mine. The author is not reponsible for any undesirable effects of reading this fanfiction including but not limited to hyperness, insane wanting of .hack, or injury for getting slapped for qouting any part of this article. You have been warned.

**Chapter 1; Miki**

_ What do you call a family destroyed by a game? "Hirabu."_

The Hirabu family had 2 daughters, one claimed insane the other too reclusive to find out. Mealtimes where like tourture chambers, nightimes stained with whispers. No one wanted to go there, not even the relitives.

Yuki Hirabu was always either doing two things most of the time. Blabbering about "The World" or playing it. She was addicted all the way through. Never came out unless it was to eat. Then she'd ask for leftovers for her grunty. If she didn't get some, she'd go log on. If she did, she'd log on as well.

But Miki Hirabu, she was judged as depressed and solemn, and maybe even stupid. She never said a word, if so, it was small, and sheonly did that when it was nessary. She carried a sketchbook she often was engrossed in. She had no friends. And she never logged on to The World, and almost denied it's existance. If I was her, I wouldn't either. Look at her sis.

The rumor was circlulating the family was cursed. Many believed it. In fact, almost everyone. Even some who didn't even believe curses existed. But one who believed in curses didn't believe.

Shugo didn't.

He knew it was something else. It had to be. He once saw Yuki in the game. And she was NOT enjoying it. What it was for real is a mystery. But Shugo wouldn't mind. Nothing like saving The World with your sister and a pretty damsel in distress at your side. Yup. Befriend the relusive Miki and it was in the bag. Or so he thought.

Shugo sat on his bed, thinking about the Hirabu family's predicament on a lazy Sunday. Was it his buisness? No...but yes. If it's this kind of problem, he knew it was not wrong to help. Right? He leaned back, more questions appearing. How hard will it be? What's going on? How will I get her to help me? That was the hardest to awsner. Turning over, he grabbed some loose notebook paper and wrote down suggestions.

-Bump into her

-Anger her so she yells at me so she'll remember me

-Talk...to her?

-Bump into her and "accidentally" drop some of my stuff so she'll return it

-Try to get her attention

-Get help from Rena

-Defend her when she gets picked on

Shugo stared at the list. They all looked like good ideas. (Ok, though the "talk to her" idea sounded lame and plain to him.) But he'd need some help from Rena first. Some of these might only work in movies and on TV. Walking off to his sister's room, his questions raced through his mind. Is it my business? How hard will it be? What's going on? What's going on? What's going on? That question repeated itself like a broken record, telling him he didn't know the awnser.

"Uh...Rena?" Shugo said, walking into his twin sister's room. She was reading manga. Rena blinked at looked at Shugo. "What's up, bro?" she asked. He told her about the Hirabu family, Miki, Yuki, and showed her the list (explaining that the "talk to her" was way too common.)

"Well Shugo," Rena said, her manga sat down beside her. "Though I'm still not that sure why you trashed the 'Talk to her' idea, but you need to get her to be your friend. Defend her when she gets picked on." Shugo nearly walked out but Rena stopped him. "And don't start thinking you're not inviting me to help you." He smiled. "Don't worry, I wasn't."

"Good." Rena said warmly, and returned to her manga. Shugo returned to his room, and prepared all the comebacks and words he'd need. Tomarrow Miki Hirabu would meet a new friend.

The next day...

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CLIFFHANGER! A minsucal one, but it's there all right! n-n Hope you liked it. Please R&R. Or just comment. New chapta coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. (Or rather, review. I only got one. xP Oh well!) OK, the last chapter was a little bland, as with not much dialogue and more explaining, and it was pretty short. -; Sorry! This chapter will be pretty long (and surprising; Miki becomes rather different now that she has friends), as it covers a large period of time. Oh, and I forgot to mention this; this happens a few months after .hack/dusk (aka .hack/legend of the twilight). I'm kinda going with the manga version of it, as the anime and manga are so different! So Rena and Shugo live in the same house. Thank you again!

**Chapter 2; The Plan in action**

Shugo was ready. Tired, stifling a yawn, but ready. He had stayed up pretty late last night. He played the world till 7 pm, ate dinner, then went to his room to make sure he knew what to say and thought of alot of things. At 30 minutes till 1 am, he fell asleep.

So now, he leaned against the school wall, waiting for her to come, fallowed by some bullies in her area. He saw it every day. Them almost stalking her was a normal sight. He tapped his foot. He knew she'd come. Any second now. Aaaany second now. Really.

Sure enough, Miki turned the corner like she did every morning, doodling in her sketchbook. And, like every morning, 2 guys that were 2 times the size they should be to be normal weight fallowed her by a foot, yelling insults. A few kids snickered. Shugo waited impatiently for them to get closer, and for them to yell a longer insult. (He had told himself he should interrupt them when they yelled a long one.)

The giant bullies then yelled their longest insult. "You know you and your sister are just--" "Stop!" Shugo yelled. 'I can't believe I'm doing this!' he thought. 'No time to turn back now though.' "Why, is she your girlfriend? Hey, everyone, Kunisaki likes Hirabu!" the boys yelled. Miki had turned around now, and was watching the bullies and Shugo. Shugo blushed. "Do not! I just don't think it's right that you just make fun of her!" The bullies weren't listening. They were making kissing noises and laughing. Almost all of the rest of the kids where giggling or laughing too. It seemed like no one was watching or listening to him anymore. (Truthfully, Miki was the only one watching and listening.)

Shugo sighed, and a second later the bell rang. Everyone began walking inside (most still snickering about Shugo and Miki). Shugo wondered if the plan worked. As he was walking inside, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around. It was Miki. "Thanks." she said, smiling. She didn't smile much, so Shugo hadn't seen how she looked smiling before. She was pretty. (He also hadn't ever heard her talk to him. But that wasn't on is mind.) "You're welcome." he said, smiling as well. "We better get to class though." Miki nodded. "Bye. " she said, and walked off to her class. Shugo knew that it must have worked.

5 _weeks (and 3 days) later..._

"Hiya Shugo! Hiya Rena!" Miki said to her friends. She had changed alot since Shugo protected her that time. She talked more. She wasn't as quiet. She stood up for herself and had more attitude. She smiled MUCH more, and she had _friends._ She had wanted friends since 2nd grade; that's when her only friend transferredthe USA and she was left alone.

"Heya Miki." they said. Rena and Shugo stood leaning on the wall. Shugo actually saw the difference as if it were a blinder. He could barely keep himself from forgetting the plan. He had asked himself a million times what the plan was in his head. Shugo knew he couldn't forget. Just because she was hot with her ice-blue eyes and bobbed black-brown hair and---don't get distracted. Not distracted? Heh, like that'll ever happen.

"Hey, it's Hirabu and her boyfriend!" Someone yelled. "And there's his ickle sister!" Miki had her back to them but already knew who it was. (Shugo and Rena knew who it was to, but they where facing him.) She turned around. "Shut up, Benjiko!" she yelled. Benjiko was the same bully that made fun of her that fateful day. And his friend Akiko, but he was currently home sick. (Supposedly; they all knew he was playing hooky.) She then turned back to Rena and Shugo, ignoring the fact her comment caused him to yell profanitys at the top of his voice angrily and flip them off before leaving.

"So, what's going on with you?" she asked cheerfully. "Eh, not much." Shugo answered. "But I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house on Saturday." He had kinda blurted the last part out; Rena didn't know yet that he was going to invite her. Rena looked at him funny, then asked, "Miki, can I talk to Shugo for a minute?" "Uh, sure!" she said, kind of confused. Rena pulled him around a corner and talked to him.

"Why didn't you tell me you're inviting her over on Saturday!" she whispered. Shugo sweatdropped. "I kind of forgot." Rena sweatdropped as well. "OK, next question. WHY are you inviting her over on Saturday?" she said, looking at him like he was inviting her over to kidnap her. "Remember last month? When I told you about Miki and Yuki and stuff?" he said. Rena nodded. "And you said talking to her was a bad idea because it's too plain, yeah." "Well I plan to try to get her to log in then." "What!" she whispered loudly. "It is the plan." "She's not going to even get near the controllers! She'll run off screaming!" "Will not!" "Will too! One time I said 'The World' (I was talking about our boring social studies lesson) and she said she had to go and ran in the bathroom. She she came out 10 minutes later, her eyes were red like she had been crying!" "I'll tell her it's for her sister!" "Good luck getting her not to hide in your closet." Rena said, and walked back to Miki.

"We're back!" Rena said. Shugo slipped around the corner and went back to were they where. "Glad you are, cause I got my answer Shugo." Miki said. "I'll come, sure!" Shugo smiled. "Ok, you'll come at 2?" He asked. "AM or PM?" she said, giggling. "Pm." he said, kind of embarrassed. Just then the bell rang and the threesome went inside.

A/N: Chapter 2 was right there folks. Warning; next chapter might be short, might be long. Depends on if I add in the log-in or not! Heh. So until the next chapter, buh-bye! (And please review!)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Whooo! Chapter 3. I thank you all for the reviews, it really inspired me to keep on writing. (I have to be poked with a stick usually.) Now we'll see how intense Miki's phobia really is, as Shugo tries his best to get some help from Miki to help Yuki. Also, I felt the need to add this: Miki acts so different suddenly after she becomes Shugo's friend because...she has friends. That had always been her personality, but when her friend moved and her sister became obessed...she kind of gave up. The insults she had always returned with a smart remark became too much without a friend, so she became the person she was eariler...quiet, shy, and though she tried her best to hide it...scared. Then she met Shugo and Rena. She then could stand the insults and shrug then off because she had people to support her. With that cleared up...I persent to you chapter 3 of .hack/CONNECTION! (AKA hackCONNECTION)

**Chapter 3; The World Phobia**

Saturday had sprung up on them like a portal in a dungeon when you didn't use a Fairy's Orb. Before Shugo could think 'I hope this works!' the doorbell had rung and he was running to awnser it. Miki stood there on the porch, waving at her parents from their old car before they drove away. She then spun around. "Hiya Shugo!"

"Hiya Miki!" he said. "Well don't just stand there, come in!" he said noticing that his friend was still standing on his doorstep peering in. She walked in causiously. "Nice house 'ya got." she said. She seemed kinda scared. Like...something was going to jump out and attack her. "Want something to drink?" Rena said. Miki looked over at her. "Not really." she said, still nervous. "C'mon, lets go up to my room." Shugo said. Miki fallowed him as he walked up the staircase. Rena grabbed a soda for herself, and ran up after them.

The threesome stepped into Shugo's room. It was relatively neat. However...the two computer screens where on, both with The World headsets set messily on them. a beat up copy of a The World manual sat at the end of a sloppily made bed. There was some miscellious clutter on the floor. It looked like he had hurried to clean up.

Rena went over and sat on the bed, with Miki fallowing slowly. Shugo stayed behind and closed the door, and unknown to the girls, locked it. Miki looked around his room. She looked like she was dying to ask a question about what they where going to do. Shugo sat down on the bed beside Rena.

And there was silence.

Rena didn't want to mess up Shugo's "plan", Shugo didn't want to mess up his own plan, and Miki was scared.

After about 2 minutes of uncomfortable silence...Rena tried to break the ice. "So Shugo, what are we going to do today?" Shugo blinked. He had spaced. "Oh yeah!" he said, "I know what we where gonna do." He took a deep breath.

"We'regonnaplayTheWorld." Shugo said so super fast that no one could hear what the hell he was trying to say. Both of the girls stared at him. Rena patetically, Miki confusedly. Shugo sweatdropped and tried to say it slower. "We're going to play The World." Miki froze for second. Then, in a blink of the eye, Miki was in Shugo's closet with the door shut. Sobbing noises came from inside." Rena ran over to the closet.

"Miki?" she said. "Are you OK?" Miki said nothing. Sobbing noises still came from inside. Shugo came over. "Miki?" he said, "Please come out." The crying got louder. "No." Miki said, her voice muffled by the wood door of the closet. "I'm not coming out. And I'm not playing." Shugo opened the door. Miki sat in the corner of his closet, crying. "Lemme alone," she choked out amongst the tears. "I don't want to play The World. It's evil." Her crying got worse. Though he barely heard it above the tears, she was murmuring to herself. "Yuki…I'll save you one day…I'm too weak today Yuki…but someday…" her crying was uncontrollable. Shugo walked over and sat beside her.

"You could start today though." Shugo said simply. Rena was peeking in at the door. Miki looked up at him, still crying, but surprised. She didn't think he heard her whispering. "You may not help Yuki today, but there's no use not trying." Miki blinked. "B-but—" "You won't be as obessed as Yuki." He said assuringly. "We're hooked on 'The World', but we aren't like Yuki," he gestured to Rena and himself. "There's nothing to loose but a few hours." Rena said.

Miki stood up. She wasn't crying anymore but tears still flowed from her eyes. Shugo stood up with her. "Shall we log on?" he said to her. Miki blinked.

"How do I do that?" she said, confused. Shugo and Rena sweatdropped.

A/N: Alrighty! There was chapter 3 for you! In chapter 4 Miki makes a character and logs on, and tries to save her sister! How she'll do that—Shugo and Rena don't know either, as she's a complete noob. At least she has a plan! Pwease review! If you review my story, I'll try my best to review yours. I'm off to go do something, see you in the next chapter of hackCONNECTION!


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